Strawberry Rec approves restoration of eelgrass damaged by dredging
- Tyler Callister
- 2 hours ago
- 1 min read
The Strawberry Recreation District board unanimously approved a $213,400 contract to restore nearly half an acre of eelgrass along Richardson Bay — a requirement after a 2023 dredging project damaged the protected underwater habitat.
The board voted Jan. 13 to hire San Diego-based Merkel & Associates for the work, which will restore 0.44 acres of eelgrass in Strawberry Channel, the waterway on the east side of Strawberry that provides boat access to the bay.
The firm will coordinate with the Richardson Bay Regional Agency’s ongoing eelgrass-restoration programs, though the Strawberry project remains independent. Merkel has been restoring eelgrass in the bay since 2013, including its work on mooring scars in the agency’s 700-acre eelgrass protection zone.
Work is expected to begin in April and wrap up by July.
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